The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is one of the best Android phones I have ever used. Makes sense to have a phone when you need it and a tablet when you want it all rolled into one device. I love the Fold3, and I love using a compatible S Pen with it. Samsung’s stylus doesn’t matter which phone you use it with, but the Fold’s bigger screen makes it better. When rumors suggested that the Fold 4 would have a built-in S Pen, many people were overjoyed with the idea, and you’d probably expect me to feel the same way. And while I may want an included S Pen in the Fold series at some point, I think there are more important issues that need to be ironed out first.
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As much as I love the Fold 3, it has a few glaring flaws that can be hard to see past, and none of these problems outweigh the battery life. I know battery life can be subjective, so I’ll briefly outline my average usage on this device.
On rest days, as seen in the screenshot above, the phone will manage around 4-5 hours of screen time over Wi-Fi, with some mild Twitter and Telegram open in split-screen with YouTube. But the regular workday is a different story. Slack, Asana, Chrome, Telegram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Calendar and Gmail all open in the background with mixed Wi-Fi and 5G running, often with at least two of those apps open on screen at once, I’d be lucky if Let me take three hours of screen time out of it. I stopped using the Fold as my daily device in December, so I don’t have any screenshots with that kind of activity, but I’ve had enough days to figure out those numbers.
These days, the Fold 3 spends most of its time in my pocket or bag, connected to my S22 Ultra or nearby Wi-Fi when I want to use it. This is the crux of the matter, I want to use it. But constantly worrying about the battery is not for me.
What does this have to do with the S Pen? In a word, space. The S Pen takes up a fair amount of internal volume in a smartphone and space is already an issue in the Fold series. Fold 3 should be thin when unfolded because it doubles the thickness when you fold it. Samsung has to balance ergonomics with internal volume, and the battery is taking the biggest hit. A combined 4,400mAh battery capacity doesn’t sound small, but that’s no surprise when you consider that it needs to run two bright displays with 120Hz, one of which is much larger than your average smartphone. That longevity is an issue. The device is also built almost entirely around multitasking and running three or more apps on the screen at the same time requires even more power.
Adding a compartment for the S Pen would mean a smaller battery (the Z Fold 3 uses two separate battery cells), which isn’t worth the sacrifice. But let’s say Samsung manages to squeeze the S Pen into the Fold 4 while maintaining the same battery size as the Fold 3. It’s not too hard to imagine, it was able to do the same with the S22 Ultra compared to its predecessor. But still, I’d like the space savings to be put into an even bigger battery or better cameras. When you’re spending close to $2,000 on a phone, even one as exclusive as a foldable one, you need to compromise as much as possible, especially when it comes to battery life.
While Samsung essentially adds the S Pen to the Fold, there are other improvements I’d like to see. The Fold3, for example, only lets you use the S Pen on the internal display, not the cover screen. I know – you might not want to make or take notes for extended periods of time on that small screen, but there are still times when being able to do that would be helpful.
On the Galaxy Note and S22 Ultra, removing the stylus while the phone is locked allows you to quickly write something on the Always On display, where it will be visible until you dismiss it. If you need to create a quick reminder to bring milk or write down someone’s phone number on the way home, this is the easiest way to do it.
I look forward to seeing what’s next for foldables, and I expect future devices to include the S Pen. But before I can start recommending these devices to others or consider using one as my daily driver, I need to see other improvements.
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About the Author
Zachary Kew-Dennis (257 articles published)
UK based Android aficionado specializing in everything Samsung and Android. There is a 90% chance that my articles will contain references to Spongebob or Transformers. Current Devices: Galaxy S21 Ultra Galaxy Watch4 Galaxy Buds/Buds+/Buds Pro Pixelbook iPad Pro 2020
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